60-year-old Leonel Molina-Rios Sentenced To 12 Years in Prison For The November 2024 Vehicular Homicide Of James Charles Riegling, 74, In Franklin

Molina-Rios was sentenced to 12 years in prison under a plea agreement, once he completes his sentenced in Wisconsin, he will be subject for deportation to Mexico.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

May 22, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Friday, Leonel "Leo" Molina-Rios, 60, was sentenced to 12 years in prison with 6 years of supervision for the November  2, 2024 homicide by use of vehicle with PAC (prohibited alcohol concentration) in the death of James Charles Riegling, 74, in Franklin. Under the plea agreement with prosecutors, several felony charges were dropped against Molina-Rios, but were read in the sentencing hearing.

Molina-Rios was facing up to 25 years in prison and up to $100,000 in fines, or both.

According to the criminal complaint, Molina-Rios of Greenfield was initially charged in Milwaukee County for homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and knownly operate a vehicle without a license causing the death of a 74-year-old male victim in a two vehicle crash on November 2, 2024 in Franklin.

Molina-Rios as a undocumented convicted felon is facing deportation once he completes his sentence. Molina-Rios will be subject to be deported to Mexico.

Molina-Rios is well known in the Milwaukee Latino community for being a popular Spanish Speaking radio personality and a former member of the Wisconsin Brown Berets.

Wanted U.S.ICE Agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, Turned Himself To Hennepin County Authorities In Minneapolis, MN

USICE agent Morgan Jr. was wanted for illegally aiming his service weapon at two victims while driving erratically on the freeway.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

May 22, 2026

Minneapolis, Minnesota - On Thursday, May 21, 2026, wanted MAGA (Make Amerikkka Great Again) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, turned himself to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Morgan Jr. became the first USICE agent to be criminally charged in Minnesota for aiming a weapon at two victims while driving erratically on the freeway.

The Hennepin County criminal complaint in Minnesota was filed on April 16, 2026 against USICE agent Morgan Jr., who has been criminally charged with two state felony counts for 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. USICE agent Morgan is facing up to 7 years in prison and $4,000 to $14,000 in fines for each count, or both, if convicted on all counts.

24-year-old Christian Abdon Correa Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison For 17-year-old Girlfriend Stabbing Related Criminal Charges In Franklin

Correa under a plea agreement with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to multiple amended felony charges resulting in a 30 year sentence in prison.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

May 22, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Thursday, Christian Abdon Correa, 24, of Franklin was sentenced to 30 years in prison for felony mayhem, which the following amended felony charges were dismissed under a plea agreement with prosecutors, but the felony charges were read in the sentencing hearing. The two dismissed charges included physical abuse of a child intentionally causing harm and strangulation and suffocation including habitual criminality repeater. Correa must serve 20 years in prison and 10 years of supervision, according to Milwaukee County court records.

Correa was previously charged for the October 27, 2023 stabbing incident of his 17-year-old girlfriend in Franklin, Wisconsin. Correa was criminally charged in 2023 for attempted 1st-degree intentional homicide with habitual criminality repeater and use of dangerous weapon; strangulation and suffocation with habitual criminality repeater; and child abuse with repeated acts to cause great bodily harm and habitual criminality repeater and use of dangerous weapon in the brutal stabbing incident. Later under a plea agreement with prosecutors to plea guilty, the initial felony charges were amended to mayhem.

On the original charges, Correa was facing up to 60-years in prison for intentional attempted homicide, and 5-years for use of a dangerous weapon: and an additional 60-years for child abuse to cause great bodily harm, and 5-years for use of a dangerous weapon; and up to 6--years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines for strangulation and suffocation. 

According to the criminal complaint, Correa stabbed his girlfriend after she broke up with him and took a knife away from her, after she tried to defend herself. Correa began to choke and beat his girlfriend when he learned that she would no longer be dating him and when she took out a knife from her pocket, Correa then was able to take it away from her and he began to stab her multiple times in the face. She suffered a fractured skull, broken nose and stab wounds to the face.

41-year-old Reinaldo Melendez Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Sexual Assault Of A Child Related Offense In Milwaukee

Melendez under a plea agreement will 5 years in prison and 5 years on supervision for reduced charges relating to sexual assault of a child.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

May 21, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Thursday, Reinaldo Melendez, 41, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading no contest to causing mental harm child and up to 3.5 years in prison for substantial battery intend bodily harm. Both sentences to be served concurrently (at same time), which Melendez will actually serve 5 years in prison and 5 years under supervision, according to Milwaukee County court records.

Melendez will register as a sex offender for life.

In a plea agreement, Melendez pleaded no contest for a reduction of charges. He was previously charged on March 8, 2024, with one felony count of repeated sexual assault of a child (3 or more violations of 1st-degree sexual assault) between March 6, 2019 thru August 3, 2023 (4 years), according to the Milwaukee County criminal complaint.

Melendez was facing up to 60 years in prison. 

Melendez is scheduled for a Milwaukee County jury trial on May 19, 2025 at the Safety Building room 620.

According to the criminal complaint, Melendez who is the stepfather of the female child victim began to inappropriately touch her at the age of 6, immediately after meeting her mother, and would come into her bedroom at night to sexually assault her. The sexual assault incidents occurred daily during the above mentioned time period when no one was at home or everyone was sleeping. The child victim described to police that Melendez would leave hand marks on her wrists when he would hold her down to sexually assault her. The door knobs to her bedroom were removed, but Melendez would still get into her bedroom to sexually assault her, according to the criminal complaint.

The child victim's mother left to Puerto Rico and left the child with her biological father who later discovered that his daughter had been sexually molested by Melendez.

The biological father also learned that her mother knew about the repeated sexual assaults of the child victim for 4 years, but didn't report it to police.

On October 4, 2023, Melendez was sentenced to 9 months at the Community Reintegration Center (formerly the Milwaukee County House of Corrections), but the sentenced was stayed and placed on probation for 18 months. He was convicted for one felony count of fleeing or eluding an officer

Insight MATC: Lack Of Leadership And Efficiency By President Dr. Anthony Cruz, Technical College Facing Layoffs, Job Eliminations, And Possible Administrative Non-contract Renewals To Offset $2.5M Deficit In 2027

Milwaukee Area Technical College facing ongoing critical administrative concerns by the MATC faculty, triggered by the current 2026 MATC deficit reported at $2.8M (has doubled since 2023 under Dr. Cruz), including MATC President Dr. Anthony Cruz's letter dated May 21, 2026, confirming that in June the technical college will begin to implement "a limited number of position eliminations" (employee layoffs), inevitably creating an employment crisis at MATC. 

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

May 26, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Thursday, Dr. Anthony Cruz, the President of the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in a letter to MATC employees announced upcoming layoffs, job position eliminations and the restructuring of various departments. (See attached letter images)

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) learned that last Tuesday, May 19th, a 37-year-old MATC full-time administrative assistant was terminated (position eliminated) and was walked out of her job without prior notice. She worked at MATC for 10 years, she was told that she could reapply for a job, but no open positions exist at the moment. She was given 30 days pay, but she says that it won't be enough to survive without a job, and she has a son to support too. She also told HNNUSA that her MATC insurance will also expire in 30 days. She is very distraught about her current jobless ordeal and the lack of sensitivity from the Dr. Cruz administration.

HNNUSA also learned that at least 3 other MATC employees have been also let go without any prior notice and are facing the same jobless dilemma as the MATC administrative assistant.

The lax leadership of President Dr. Cruz and the MATC Board of Trustees alleged unwillingness to hold Dr. Cruz accountable has definitely led to a double deficit of $2.8M in 2026, in less then two years, while in 2023 under prior MATC President Vickie J. Martin, the technical college deficit was at $1.1M.

Also, the ongoing internal proliferation of a hostile work environment, which continues to be practiced today by the Cruz administration at MATC, including the elimination of the Office of Multicultural Student Services and the recent issues raised in regards to the gutting of the ESL, GED, 5.9/HSED programs, including MATC's teaching structure that has evolved into a technical and skilled learning curriculum provided by part-time instructors, who are not promoted as full-time instructors has definitely affected employee moral. The elimination of any credible Multicultural Student Services at MATC has also affected student recruitment, which a administration report to the MATC Board showed inflated student enrollment stats, when in fact enrollment had dropped.

The inept MATC Board of Trustees have yet to implement any credible reforms to restore any efficiency at the college.

Under MATC President Dr. Anthony Cruz leadership:

• The union was reportedly notified approximately one week ago that layoffs involving faculty and paraprofessional staff were coming through the viability process. Employees are now learning that additional eliminations may soon occur, according to Carlos Aranda, a MATC Counselor. Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BnWgNifAp/

• ESL, GED, 5.09/HSED programs are becoming less effective programs due to administrative gutting the programs due to deficit constraints. The 5 on 9 program is not failing, it's been allowed to fall apart by the MATC administration in Milwauke, Wisconsin.

• Students are to often left out of the decision making that's going to impact their education.

• Lack of collaboration between MATC administration and instructors reported at the recent MATC Board of Trustees meeting.

• MATC deficit under MATC President Dr. Anthony Cruz more than doubled from previous predecessor (former MATC President Vickie J. Martin) in 2023 with $1.1M to today under Dr. Cruz at $2.8M in 2026 to an expected deficit of $2.5M in fiscal year 2027.

• Elimination of the Office of Multicultural Student Services, and unjustly terminating 4 student services specialists affecting Latino/Hispanic, African-American, Asian-American and Native-American students including communities without their imput, in order to comply with Trump's illegal and unconstitutional executive order eliminating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) race related programs, which multiple federal courts have ruled it was unconstitutional.

• MATC facing multiple employees discrimination complaints with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Equal Rights Division.

• MATC administration under Dr. Cruz has proliferated its hostile work environment including the practice of harassment, discrimination and retaliation against employees and instructors that file complaints or just complain.

• MATC cutting employee wages, but are being forced to work more without wage compensation.

• MATC has an all White male administration who are paid excessive wages, for example, Dr. Cruz gets $285,000 in salary per year with extras perks, eventhough, he has more than doubled the MATC deficit, since 2024.

• MATC President Cruz has ignored the communities of color demands to restore the Office of Multicultural Student Services, and has also failed to provide any particular reason why he continues to ignore the communities of color requests who actually pay his salary.

• MATC Human Resources led by Laquitha “Elle” Bonds-Jones, the Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer under Dr. Cruz cut part-time employees hourly wages without their knowledge and also reduced their sick leave pay. Part-time employees had to be compensated back pay wages and earned sick leave fully pay restored. Also, Bonds-Jones was eventually caught altering MATC policies without the knowledge of the MATC Board of Trustees or the MATC Local 212 union. Dr. Cruz has declined to terminate Bonds-Jones for her alleged misdeeds at the technical college.

• Student enrollment stats intentionally inflated, despite student enrollment decline between 2025 to 2026, according to discovery made by MATC Board of Trustees who learned that misinformation was being provided to them at the April 28, 2026 Board meeting. Presentation by Phillip King, the Executive Vice-President and Provost showed an enrollment decline from 2025 to 2026, but enrollment stats were inaccurately inflated, which multiple MATC Board members criticized Phillip for providing inaccurate student enrollment stats. (MATC Board meeting video time at 2:20:00 minute to 2:50:00 minutes stamp)

• MATC Board of Trustees meeting for Tuesday, April 28, 2026, the first 42 minutes of the meeting were public comments by 11 instructors, students and the MATC Local 212 union regarding their concerns and issues they are facing at MATC under Dr. Cruz's administration, at link: https://www.youtube.com/live/--C91QsctXM

• In less than 2 years at MATC, Dr. Cruz has continuously shown lack of leadership including his lack of ability to resolve major plaguing issues at the technical college, which so far, the inept Board of Trustees have failed to take any action to hold Dr. Cruz accountable.

MATC District Board Meeting: Faculty Raise Serious Concerns — AFT Local 212 https://share.google/ZW1kqIaJGjDePQuIx

Dr. Cruz Must Go!

Protests at MATC: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1JbKnLLzAh/

Full HNNUSA article: https://tinyurl.com/zy8jz5k5

Gofundme Donations Sought For This Year's Fiesta Puerto Rico & Parade 2026 At Humboldt Park In Milwaukee

Facing a critical budget shortfall in 2026, the organizers of the Fiesta Puerto Rico & Parade 2026 decided to create a Gofundme account to generate donations.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

May 19, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Tuesday, Victor Huyke, the Publisher of Bi-weekly El Conquistador Latino Newspaper and sponsor of the annual Fiesta Puerto Rico & Parade 2026 in Milwaukee announced that a Gofundme account has been created at the following link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-fiesta-puerto-rico-celebrate-give-back to help generate much needed funds for the June 7th festival in Milwaukee.

According to Huyke, he attributed the creation of the Gofundme "due to unexpected cost overruns...and facing a critical budget shortfall", which donations generated will be used to cover required permits, artists and entertainment fees, including essential equipment and production expenses."

It's the first time Huyke has created a Gofundme account to generate funding for the Fiesta Puerto Rico & Parade. Huyke also recently sponsored the Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Serb Hall in early May.

The co-organizer of both the Fiesta Puerto Rico & Parade 2026, and the Cinco de Mayo Celebration 2026 in Milwaukee is Jose Rodriguez, according to Huyke. Huyke credited Rodriguez for this year's major success of the Cinco de Mayo Festival at Serb Hall.

This year's Fiesta Puerto Rico & Parade is scheduled for June 7, 2026 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Humboldt Park located at the 3000 block of S. Howell Ave. in Milwaukee.

42-year-old Raul Herrera Sentenced To 15-years In Prison For The May 2025 Hit-and-run Death Of Roberto Deleon, 90, In The Southside Of Milwaukee

Herrera was sentenced to 15-years in prison for the May 2025 hit-and-run death of Deleon in the Southside of Milwaukee.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

May 18, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On May 12, 2026, Raul Herrera, 42, was sentenced to 15-years in prison after he pled guilty to one felony count for hit-and-run involving death on April 2026 for the May 10, 2025 hit-and-run death of Roberto Deleon, 90, at the 1000 block of S. 35 Street in the Southside of Milwaukee.

Herrera will serve 8 years in prison and 7 years in supervision. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Swanson also gave him credit for 366 days incarceration.

A restitution hearing for Herrera was set for July 10, 2026.

According to the criminal complaint, Herrera and friends were drinking at a Northside bar and afterwards he was driving along S. 35 Street when he struck Deleon who was crossing the street. Herrera did not stop, but one of his passengers was able to get out of the vehicle and identified Herrera as the hit-and-run driver to police.

Herrera was later taken into custody and criminally charged.

In addition, Herrera is facing an additional 16 years in prison in another criminal case, the open felony case is set for final pre-trial on July 31, 2026.

In that criminal case, Herrera was criminally charged with one felony count for 2nd-degree recklessly endangering safety including use of a dangerous weapon, domestic abuse assessment; one felony count for intimidate a witness/domestic abuse including use of a dangerous weapon and domestic abuse assessment; one felony count for false imprisonment including use of a dangerous weapon and domestic abuse assessment; one felony count for strangulation/suffocation including use of a dangerous weapon and domestic abuse assessment; and two misdemeanor counts for battery including use of dangerous weapon and domestic abuse assessment, and disorderly conduct including use of a dangerous weapon and domestic abuse assessment. 

If convicted, Herrera is facing 10 years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines, or both for each felony count for 2nd-degree recklessly endangering safety and intimidate a witness/domestic abuse; facing up to 6 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines, or both for each felony count of false imprisonment and strangulation/suffocation; and 9 months in jail and up to $10,000 in fines, or both for one misdemeanor count for battery, and up to 90 days in jail and up to $1,000 in fines, or both for one misdemeanor count for disorderly conduct.